CES attendance down 22 percent vs. 2008

Well, I totally called this one. Rather than the modest eight percent decline in attendance that the CEA had said it expected at this year's CES show, actual attendance vs. 2008 was down about 22 percent, about twice the decline expected.

Final figures aren't in, but CES is claiming "more than 110,000" attendees (read: just about 110,000) over this year's four-day long show, vs. 141,150 officially-counted attendees in 2008.

At least three of those attendees were people's kids: This was the first year I actually saw children (in official CES badges!) wandering the show with their parents, supposedly a violation of the strict 18-and-over rule that has long been a CES regulatory fixture.

The decline in attendance was noticeable this year, especially earlier in each day, when normally you'd find a mob of attendees waiting for the official opening time to burst through the doors. Instead people seemed to be sleeping in, with traffic picking up later in the afternoon.

Vendors clearly noticed the drop too, with some outright calling the show a disaster but just as many others grateful for the more relaxed pace vs. the last few years. And in truth, many booths (Microsoft and Sony, especially) were stuffed to the gills with attendees, showing that even in a recession, a few companies doing interesting stuff are still getting lots of attention. Other booths -- especially those with seating for their '90s-feeling stage show presentations -- found far fewer takers.

They say a picture speaks a thousand words, so maybe I'll stop writing and direct you to the above photograph: I shot the above picture of a normally jam-packed connecting hallway at about 10am on the second day of the show. I've never seen the convention center so dead, even after hours.

The conversation has now turned to CES 2010, and what it might look like. One popular rumor is that CES will change dates or move locations from Vegas to Orlando. I haven't heard any big name vendors say they're bowing out next year, but if the economy hasn't recovered by this year's holiday season, all bets may be off. Now who wants to go to Disneyland!?